You’re originally from California. Why Luxembourg?

I got lost! Jokes aside, I appreciate the historical aspect of the Grand Duchy. Coming from California, a relatively young state, it blows me away every time I walk along the casemates and realise that the medieval fortifications are a thousand years old. Luxembourg is a unique place--with people of more than 100 nationalities living in the country and its centuries of history, it’s like a mini-Europe within Europe. It’s incredibly cool to be able to meet people from all the world in such a small city. Plus, Luxembourg has everything you might want or need--restaurants where you can taste a wide variety of cuisines, beautiful forests to explore, and elegant architecture to admire. The only thing that’s missing is the ocean…

Why journalism?

My background is in molecular biology, and one of my previous jobs involved communicating on public health research projects. The experience demonstrated the value of producing easy-to-understand information and the importance of its transmission. What is the point of conducting research? The goal isn’t simply to publish an article in an academic journal or to present results at a specialised scientific conference--while these are important parts of research, I think it’s also essential to share findings with the public. As a journalist, I hope to ensure that accurate information is easily accessible to the public, especially in these times of increased misinformation.

What do you do to unwind?

I enjoy looking at (and eating) desserts, but during the pandemic lockdowns, I discovered a love for baking. Armed with a cookbook, a fondness for French pastries (and pastry chefs), and a lot of extra time, I worked my way through a list of desserts, ranging from apple muffins to chocolate soufflés. It is relaxing to study a recipe, measure ingredients, and see how an hour in the oven transforms a seemingly random combination of flour, sugar, and eggs into a sweet treat. Baking also reminds me of experiments in chemistry class, though the process--and the results--are much tastier.